U.S. translation of a WWII article
from the Soviet Artillery Journal giving instructions for using anti-tank weapons
against the German Tiger tank,
Tactical and Technical
Trends, No. 40, Dec. 16, 1943.
At the time of publication, U.S. forces had only sporadically encountered the
Tiger tank in Tunisia, Sicily, and Italy.

[DISCLAIMER: The following text is taken from the U.S. War Department
publication Tactical and Technical Trends. As with all wartime
intelligence information, data may be incomplete or inaccurate. No
attempt has been made to update or correct the text. Any views or
opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the website.]

VULNERABILITY OF TIGER TANKS

An article recently published in
the Soviet Artillery Journal gave detailed instructions for the use of antitank
weapons against the German Tiger tank. Vulnerability of various parts of the
tank was cited in connection with directions for attack. The accompanying
sketch shows vulnerable points and indicates weapons to be used against them.
Material concerning the vulnerability of German tanks was published in Tactical
and Technical Trends No. 8, p. 46 and No. 11, p. 28. Detailed
information about the Tiger tank was published
in Tactical and Technical Trends No. 34, p. 13.

A translation of the Soviet
Artillery Journal article follows:

"The mobility of tanks depends
upon the proper functioning of the suspension
parts — sprocket (small
driving wheel), idler (small wheel in the rear), wheels and tracks. All of
these parts are vulnerable to shells of all calibers. A particularly vulnerable
part is the sprocket.

"Fire armor-piercing shells and
HE shells at the sprocket, the idler and the tracks. This will stop the tank.
Fire at the wheels with HE shells. Also, when attacking a tank, use AT grenades
and mines. If movable mines are used, attach three or four of them to a board
and draw the board, by means of a cord or cable, into the path of an advancing
tank.

"There are two armor plates on
each side of the tank. The lower plate is partly covered by the wheels. This
plate protects the engine and the gasoline tanks which are located in the rear
of the hull, directly beyond and over the two rear wheels.

"Fire at the lower plates with armor-piercing shells
from 76-, 57- and 45-mm guns. When the gasoline tanks are
hit, the vehicle will be set on fire. Another method of starting a fire within
the tank is to pierce the upper plates on the sides of the tank, thus reaching
the ammunition compartments and causing an explosion.

"The rear armor plate protects
the engine as well as giving additional protection to the gasoline tanks.
Shells from AT guns, penetrating this armor, will disable the tank.

"The turret has two vision ports
and two openings through which the tankís crew fire their weapons. The
commanderís small turret has five observation slits. There are two sighting
devices on the roof of the front of the tank, one for the driver, the other for
the gunner. Also, in the front of the tank there is a port with a sliding
cover.

"The turret is a particularly
important and vulnerable target. Attack it with HE and armor-piercing shells of
all calibers. When it is damaged, use AT grenades and incendiary bottles
(Molotov cocktails).

"There is a 10-mm slit all
around the base of the turret. AT gun and heavy machine-gun fire, effectively
directed at this slit, will prevent the turret from revolving and thus
seriously impair the tank's field of fire. Furthermore, hits by HE shell at the
base of the turret may wreck the roof of the hull and put the tank out of
action.

"The tankís air vents and ventilators are under the perforations
in the roof of the hull, directly behind the turret. Another air vent is in the
front part of the roof, between the two observation ports used by the radio
operator and the driver. Use AT grenades and incendiary bottles against these vents.

"Explode antitank mines under the tank to smash the floor and put the tank
out of action."

Accompanying sketch shows vulnerable points and indicates weapons to be used
against them.